Peltier Honored by Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives as Physician Champion

Dr. Robert Peltier, chief medical officer of North Oaks Health System, has been honored by the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) as recipient of its Physician Champion Regent Award for 2021. Dr. Peltier is pictured above with his wife Tara Peltier.

The presentation was made in conjunction with the Louisiana Hospital Association (LHA) Annual Meeting and Summer Conference recently held in Orange Beach, Alabama.

The Physician Champion Award recognizes an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives known for advancing the medical profession, as well as demonstrating outstanding leadership and commitment to quality care, patient safety and performance improvement, according to Kiley Cedotal, who is ACHE’s Louisiana chapter president and North Oaks Health System’s vice president of strategic growth.

Dr. Peltier has served as Chief Medical Officer of North Oaks Health System since 2008. In addition, he is the medical director of Southeastern Louisiana University’s infirmary and a member of the LHA’s Research and Education Foundation Board of Trustees and Physician Leadership Council. For the past 3 years, he has led LHA’s Chief Medical Officer Roundtable, where his leadership has helped to shape best practices for the state’s comprehensive medical response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

During the pandemic, Dr. Peltier quickly gained a reputation as a trusted subject matter expert, while also providing medical staff leadership and assisting with patient care. He participated in countless interviews with local media, including Northshore Broadcasting, WWL-TV and The Advocate, as well as national outlets like CNN, Reuters and The New York Times. He also presented at countless meetings (both virtual and in person) for civic organizations, universities, chambers of commerce, the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church and governmental organizations to educate, answer questions and quell panic. He led the development of one of the first specialized emergency department COVID-19 triage processes in the state and expansion of North Oaks’ Medical Intensive Care Unit to increase capacity to care for critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Under his tutelage, North Oaks was recognized by the International Hospital Federation through its COVID-19 “Beyond the Call of Duty” program. This recognition placed North Oaks in the company of more than 100 hospitals from 28 countries honored for their COVID-19 response. North Oaks was one of only 13 facilities honored nationwide.

Dr. Peltier generously gives of his time to Children Advocacy Services, where he serves as a court appointed special advocate, and he volunteers to provide free physicals to student-athletes through annual North Oaks Sports Medicine Physical Days. He also works closely with physician residency programs across the state to help new physicians know what to expect when they begin practicing.

He joined the North Oaks medical staff as an internal medicine physician and travel medicine specialist in 1998 and was honored as the health system’s Physician of the Year in 2005 and as a “2020 Health Care Hero” by New Orleans CityBusiness.

A graduate of Louisiana State University’s School of Medicine in Shreveport, Dr. Peltier completed an internship and residency through its Internal Medicine Residency Program in Baton Rouge.

The Mission of the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives is to provide opportunities for professional networking and development through collaborative educational programs. The organization’s goal is to advance healthcare leadership and management excellence across the state, while promoting the highest level of ethical standards and conduct.